Am I Drinking Too Much Caffeine?

Whilst caffeine is generally safe in low-to-moderate amounts, high levels of it can cause unpleasant and even dangerous side effects. Doctors recommend having no more than 400mg of caffeine a day. That’s roughly the same as 4-5 cups of tea or coffee. Caffeine is not only found in tea and coffee, but can be found in a number of other sources including: green tea, energy drinks, cola and chocolate.

As a stimulant, caffeine’s main purpose is to help you to power through tiredness – so its no wonder that the UK alone drinks around 95 million cups of coffee a day! It can boost your mood, metabolism and mental and physical performance.

If you find yourself drinking too much caffeine you may find that you experience some of these side effects:

• Anxiety

• Insomnia

• Digestive issues

• Muscle breakdown

• Addiction

• High blood pressure

• Rapid heart rate

• Fatigue
  

• Frequent urination and urgency

Whilst caffeine may be addictive to some, it doesn't cause you harm in the same way as other addictive substances. Skipping your daily caffeine hit may give you mild withdrawal symptoms and can make it harder to break the habit. Cutting back on caffeine can cause headaches, tiredness, anxiety, low mood and problems concentrating. It takes 12-24 hours from your last caffeine dose for withdrawal to kick in. These effects can last between 2-9 days.

If you have concerns about your caffeine intake and are having trouble sleeping, having heart palpitations or are worried about the effect on your high blood pressure, then make an appointment to speak with a doctor.